Fred Willard to get treatment instead of prosecution in masturbation case

Actor Fred Willard, who was arrested on Wednesday (July 18) for lewd conduct when he was found masturbating in a Hollywood movie theater, will not be prosecuted. Instead, Willard will take part in a diversion program that will apparently teach him that it is against the law to masturbate in public movie theaters.

Willard was cited by police when they discovered the actor in the Tiki Theater adult movie house on Santa Monica Boulevard with his pants down and his hand on his penis. He was briefly taken into custody, but soon released.

The "Best in Show" player will pay $350 to an outside vendor for a program that will include sessions on decision-making and sex-related crimes, reports the Los Angeles Times.

He could still be charged if he doesn't complete the court-ordered diversion program.